Serena on High Loss and Tennis vs. Pickleball

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Picture credit score: Clive Brunskill/Getty

Serena Williams is aware of the way it feels to share the court docket with household.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena was pregnant when she beat older sister Venus Williams to win the 2017 Australian Open championship.

Collectively, the Williams sisters received 14 main doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals in doubles.

Nonetheless, Serena says her high reminiscence of dynamic doubles with Venus isn’t a win, it’s a loss. And never simply any loss.

In a brand new interview with Glamour Serena Williams Debunks Each Tennis Fantasy, Serena shares her high doubles reminiscence: The day Venus misplaced it on court docket prompting Serena to matches of uncontrollable laughter.

“Clearly successful the Olympic gold [in doubles] thrice was actually cool,” Serena instructed Glamour. “One in every of my greatest recollections in doubles is definitely us shedding and Venus simply shedding her thoughts on the court docket as a result of she’s so calm.

“And I used to be laughing the entire time. And we misplaced like 4 factors as a result of I couldn’t cease laughing.”

Enjoying beside her older sister was each a blessing and a burden, Serena says.

“Truthfully, I feel for me doubles could have been a little bit bit more durable [than singles] as a result of I by no means needed to let my companion down, which was Venus,” mentioned Serena, who additionally partnered James Blake to guide Workforce USA to the Hopman Cup and was a stalwart Fed Cup (now Billie Jean King Cup) competitor. “Like in singles, in case you make a mistake, it’s one factor, it’s on you. However in case you make a mistake in doubles, it’s like: Oh, I’m letting my companion down.

“That was quite a lot of strain for me as a result of I by no means needed to let her down.”

The Williams Sisters famously pulled off the Verena Slam, sweeping 4 consecutive Grand Slam doubles championships—the 2009 Wimbledon, 2009 US Open, 2010 Australian Open and 2010 Roland Garros—to carry all 4 main doubles crowns concurrently.

Venus and Serena captured 14 main doubles championships collectively, together with six Wimbledon doubles titles.

One motive why they received Wimbledon 4 extra occasions than their dwelling Slam, the place the sisters received two US Open doubles titles, is easy, says Venus. US Open schedule-makers typically put Williams sisters doubles matches on at night time, which Venus mentioned lowered their relaxation and restoration time for singles.

Consequently, the Williams sisters wound up pulling the plug on US Open doubles.

“We by no means performed as a lot on the US Open,” Venus Williams mentioned on her YouTube channel. “One of many causes was as a result of they might give us actually troublesome schedules.

“So they might put us to play an evening match in doubles. After which we’d have to show round—you’re going all the best way to Queens—and again to the town. You don’t end till midnight. Flip round subsequent day and should play a singles match and a doubles match.

“[The US Open] by no means gave us favorable scheduling for doubles. So we by no means bought to play typically [at the US Open] since you bodily can’t do this….

“Truthfully, the scheduling value us generally in singles and in doubles due to the best way they might schedule us. So we simply needed to cease taking part in [doubles at the US Open] as a lot.”

Responding to Glamour viewers questions, Serena affords her views on:

*Skirts vs. Shorts

*Why Grunting works

*The off-court locations you’ll see her sporting tennis gear

*Enjoying Wii Tennis

Serena Williams, who acquired a rousing standing ovation from Arthur Ashe Stadium followers on her return to the US Open earlier this month, additionally states her views on tennis vs. pickleball. Serena says most good tennis gamers can change into good pickleball gamers, however she questions if the reverse is true.

“I don’t play pickleball. However I feel in case you play good tennis you would most likely play pickleball very well,” Serena says. “When you do play pickleball, you’re most likely not going to be nearly as good at tennis. As a result of tennis is a distinct sport.

“Like you may go from tennis to pickleball. I don’t suppose you may essentially go from pickleball to tennis. So undoubtedly a fantasy there.”